Performance Max is easy to launch and easy to waste money on. For admissions, three decisions do most of the work.
One asset group per programme, never one per campaign
An MBA applicant and a B.Pharm applicant share no messaging. Split asset groups by programme so headlines, images and landing pages stay coherent, and so reporting tells you which programme is actually expensive.
Feed it qualified leads, not form fills
PMax optimises toward whatever you call a conversion. If that is a form submission, it will find people who submit forms. Upload CRM-stage conversions — qualified lead, application started, application submitted — and the bidding follows the funnel that matters.
Use audience signals as a starting point, not a fence
Seed with your CRM lists of past applicants and enquiries, plus entrance-exam interest segments. Signals speed up learning; they do not restrict delivery, so weak creative still leaks budget.
Exclusions are where the savings are
Brand-term exclusions stop PMax claiming credit for traffic Search would have won anyway. Account-level negatives remove the "free", "distance" and "without exam" searches that convert to nothing in a degree programme.
Give it a month, but watch it hourly
PMax needs a learning period, which is not the same as needing to be ignored. Asset ratings, search-term insights and placement reports change daily — and that daily check is exactly what an AI Marketer is for.
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